This article describes the results of using state-of-the-art, research-quality software as a learning tool in a general chemistry secondary school classroom setting. I present three activities designed to introduce fundamental chemical concepts regarding molecular shape and atomic orbitals to students with little background in chemistry, such as one might find in a secondary school or first-year college chemistry course for nonmajors. Pilot studies employing the Shapes of Molecules and Atomic Orbitals activities demonstrate that students learn and retain key concepts.